Rail-joint.



No. 801,758. PATENTBD OGT.10, 1905. W. A. WILLIS.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM A IN ILLIS, OF TRENTON, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WVILLIAM 1V. HUBBELL, OF TRENTON, MISSOURI.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latenteol Oct. 10, 1905.

Application filed June 6, 1905. Serial No, 26 L010.

To (all whmn it Wtcty concern.-

Be it known that LIVILLIAM A. \VILLIs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Trenton, in the county of Grundy and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail-joints, and has for its objects to produce a comparatively simple and inexpensive device of this character in which the meeting ends of the rail-sections may be securely engaged one with the other, one wherein a firm secure joint is produced and the employment of fish-plates obviated, and one in which a relative vertical movement of the meeting ends of the rail-sections is prevented, thus obviating pounding of the rails.

W'ith these and otherobjects in view theinvention comprises the novel features of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail-joint embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one end of one of the rail-sections. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the companion rail-section. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line at l of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a top plan view illustrating a modified embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, l and 2 designate a pair of railsections arranged in meeting endwise relation, these rails, except as hereinafter explained, being of the usual form and material and each comprising a tread 3, a web a, and base-flange 5.

The section 1 has its tread 3 terminated short of the end of its web 4:, thus to produce a web extension the side walls of which are tapered or inclined from its upper toward its lower edge, as illustrated more clearly in Fig. 4:, while the base-flange 5 of said section is also terminated somewhat short of the end of the web, thus producinga terminal engaging portion 6, as seen in Fig. 2.

The section 2 terminates in a transverselyenlarged portion 7, formed integral with its web 4 and divided centrally to form a longitudinal slot or seat 8, designed to receive the web extension of the companion section 1, the tread 3 of sectionZ being terminated slightly short of the end of the transversely-enlarged portion '7, thus to provide on the latter terminal engaging portions 9, adapted when the rail-sections are assembled to engage beneath the tread 3 of the rail-section 1, while the base-flange of section 2 is terminated at a point suitably remote from the ends of the section, thus to provide a recess 10 for the reception of the baseliange 5 of rail-section 1, it being noted in this connection that the upper faces of the said base-flange have their upper faces inclined upwardly and outwardly from and upon opposite sides of the web 4 and that the lower faces of the extension or enlargement 7 are correspondingly inclined, as seen in Fig. 4. It is to be particularly observed in this connection that the lower edge of the enlargement 7 terminates at the outer end of the latterin an u pwardly-inclined bearing portion 11, designed to contact with and ride upon a correspondinglyinclined face upon the base-flange of section 1, as seen more clearly in Fig. 1, whereby when the sections are assembled the engaging portions 9 of section 2 will be forced upward to bear firmly against the lower face of said tread 3 of the rail-section 1.

In practice the sections are assembled by introducing the web extension of section 1 into the longitudinal slot or seat 8, the meeting ends of the sections being brought together with the engaging portions 9 of section 2 seated beneath the tread of section 1, as heretofore stated, and the terminal engaging portion 6 of section I entered into a prolongation of the slot 8 to bear above the base 5 of railsection 2, the sections being secured in assembled relation by means of a transverse bolt 12 entered through suitable registering openings 13, formed in the rails. It is apparent from this construction that a firm secure joint will be produced, that the employment of fish-plates is obviated, and that relative vertical movement of the rail-sections is overcome, thereby preventing pounding of the rail ends, and, furthermore, that transverse strain upon the inter-engaging portions of rail-sections is measurably decreased owing to the lower edges of the enlargement 7 and the upper face of the tread 5 of the rail-section 1 being upwardly and outwardly inclined, as seen in Fig. 4:.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a slightly-modified embodiment of the invention, in which the base-flange of rail-section 1 projects slightly beyond the transverse edges of the enlargement 7 on section 2 and is provided with notches or recesses 14, constituting seats for spikes or other fastening members by which the rails are attached to the underlying ties, it being understood that under this arrangement the transverse connecting-bolt 12 is dispensed with.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I produce a simple form of rail-joint which in practice will admirably perform its functions to the attainment of the ends in View and one wherein the meeting ends of the rail-sections will be firmly and securely connected, it being understood that minor changes in the details herein set forth may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is In a rail-joint, a rail-section having its tread terminated short of its end to provide a web extension and having the upper face of its base inclined upwardly and outwardly at opposite sides of said extension, a companion to seat beneath the tread of the first-named rail, said rail-sections having correspondinglyinclined faces cooperating to force the said engaging portions into firm contact with the overlying rail-tread, and means for fixing the sections against relative endwise movement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM A. WILLIS.

WVitnesses:

JAMEs E. NIcHoLs, RoBY WILLIS. 

